I stand there staring at it.
Then I call Lindsay.
"Okay." I don't even let her finish her greeting. "Something happened."
"Define something."
"A man came into the library."
Silence. Then: "Keep going."
"Suit. Expensive. Very expensive. Sexy. I mean the kind of face that is genuinely unfair to put on a person." I lean against the counter. "He asked for my advice on a book but didn't have a library card so he didn't check anything out. He... stayed for like an hour making small talk. Then read through a few pages, then left."
"Oooh, sounds like a VIP. What kind of car was he driving?"
I blink. "What?"
"The car, Val. What was he driving?"
"I don't know, I didn't run outside to check the man's car, Lin."
"I would have."
"Yes, I know you would have."
"Okay, but girl." Her voice pitches up. "Was he fine fine or regular fine?"
I think about the jaw. The voice. The way his thumb grazed my hand like it was nothing.
"So so fine." I fan myself dramatically. "Disgustingly fine. It should be illegal."
She makes a sound that is mostly noise. "Please tell me you got a number. A name. Something."
"He said his name is Sal."
"Val? All you got was a three letter nickname? How am I supposed to track down your dream man with just Sal?"
"No need to track him down, he's way out of my league, trust me."
"Do not finish that sentence," she warns.
"Although*?*"
I pause. "...he was quite the charmer."
She inhales sharply. "Explain."
"Just, the way he talked. The way he looked at me. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced. I thought he was going to give me his number or take mine, or at least offer a quickie," I laugh and she joins in on my laughter on the other line.
"Oh please, you know damn well you would not have a quickie with a stranger."
"I don't know friend, with that stranger? I might offer a few quickies. Quickies on standby for that one," I say jokingly and we both laugh knowing I don't even do one night stands so that would never happen but if it were ever to happen, he would be a contender for sure.
"You sure you don't recognize him? He sounds very into you."
"He was being polite."
"Men in expensive suits do not sit in public libraries for an hour to be polite, Val. That is not a thing that happens." I can hear her grinning through the phone. "I wouldn't be surprised if he walks back in tomorrow and checks out every single book in that building just for an excuse to talk to you again."
